2500-2501 Antarctica Hurricane Season (Akio)
Season Summary The 2500-2501 season was the first recorded season of storms forming below the Antarctic Circle. A total of 14 named storms formed, of these, 6 became hurricanes and 2 became majors. The strongest storm of the season was Hurricane Luigi, peaking at 155 MPH. Season Timeline ImageSize = width:725 height:250 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:240 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/11/2000 till:01/05/2001 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/11/2000 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_(0-62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39-73_mph_(63-117 km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74-95_mph_(119-153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96-110_mph_(154-177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111-129_mph_(178-208-km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130-156_mph_(209-249_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_≥_157_mph_(≥250_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:07/11/2000 till:14/11/2000 color:TS text:Anton from:25/11/2000 till:29/11/2000 color:TS text:Benita from:29/11/2000 till:04/12/2000 color:TS text:Caleb from:17/12/2000 till:27/12/2000 color:C1 text:Dakshayani from:23/12/2000 till:30/12/2000 color:C1 text:Enrique from:07/01/2001 till:12/01/2001 color:TS text:Falken from:14/01/2001 till:19/01/2001 color:TS text:Gavril from:16/01/2001 till:31/01/2001 color:C3 text:Haru barset:break from:29/01/2001 till:05/02/2001 color:C1 text:Isaac from:06/02/2001 till:01/03/2001 color:C2 text:Josefa from:11/02/2001 till:14/02/2001 color:TS text:Kalida from:25/03/2001 till:12/04/2001 color:C4 text:Luigi from:30/03/2001 till:02/04/2001 color:TS text:Morgan from:07/04/2001 till:17/04/2001 color:TS text:Norberto bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/11/2000 till:01/12/2000 text:November from:01/12/2000 till:01/01/2001 text:December from:01/01/2001 till:01/02/2001 text:January from:01/02/2001 till:01/03/2001 text:February from:01/03/2001 till:01/04/2001 text:March from:01/04/2001 till:01/05/2001 text:April Storms Tropical Storm Anton An area of low pressure formed in the Weddell Sea on November 2. Finland investigated this area of low pressure and discovered it had Tropical Characteristics! They named the invest 91A. The invest meandered around the Weddell Sea, until becoming Tropical Depression 01A on November 7. It then continued it's slow trend while heading Southwest. It then became the unexpected. A tropical storm in the Weddell Sea on November 10. The 30 countries that had stations in Antarctica met about this system. They decided to give Finland the honor of naming it, since Finland spotted it first. Finland decided to name it Anton, after it's current leader, Anton Haagen. Anton then intensified into a 50 MPH Tropical Storm and made landfall at the Ronne Ice Shelf on November 13. It dissipated later that day. Tropical Storm Benita The United Nations thought Anton would be a 1 in 10000 year occurrence, but they thought wrong. On November 22, another area of low pressure formed in the Weddell Sea. Argentina was the first to look into this system, and on November 25, they discovered Tropical Characteristics, in fact, it was already a depression. It intensified into a Tropical Storm the next day. After another meeting, they concluded that this would become normal in the warm months of the year (For the Southern Hemisphere). They named the storm Benita. On November 28, it made landfall not too far from where Anton made landfall 15 days earlier. Benita was a bit stronger, at 70 MPH and a pressure of 993 millibars when it made landfall on the Ronne Ice Shelf. It dissipated the next day. Tropical Storm Caleb On November 20, an invest formed in the Ross Sea. The invest moved eastwards over the next 9 days before becoming a Tropical Depression. The Tropical Depression headed towards the Ross Ice Shelf, and for the first time, a station was likely going to be hit. McMurdo Station, owned by the USA, was in the direct path of the storm. Right before landfall, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Caleb. Caleb made landfall over McMurdo station on December 3, before it dissipated over the Transantarctic Mountains on December 4. Caleb caused 1 death, when a man stepped on some ice that had been melted from the warm rain of the storm. The man fell in the ice, into the icy cold waters beneath Antarctica, and drowned. The melted ice became known as "Quicksnow". Hurricane Dakshayani Another invest formed in the Weddell Sea on December 13, moving Northwest, and making landfall in the Antarctic Peninsula. Surprisingly, the invest re-emerged over the Bellingshausen Sea on December 16, and became Tropical Depression 04A the next day. It then curved Southeast while slowly strengthening. It became Tropical Storm Dakshayani on December 18, and unexpectedly became a hurricane on December 21. Dakshayani was the first hurricane ever in the Antarctica Basin. It then hit an area of colder sea surface temperatures and high wind shear, rapidly weakening the storm. It became a Tropical Storm on December 23, and a Tropical Depression on December 25. It's remains made landfall in the Antarctic Peninsula on December 26, before dissipating on December 27. Hurricane Enrique On December 9, a tropical wave emerged off of the West Coast of Africa. What was likely to become an off season Tropical Storm Will instead turned out rather different. Instead of drifting West, the wave drifted South. Heading over the warmer waters of the South Atlantic, it slowly began to strengthen. The storm was then predicted to become a South Atlantic Cyclone, but it didn't, as it showed no sign of circulation. Eventually the wave made it down to the Weddell Sea, where it finally became a Tropical Depression. It then entered an area of 30*C waters and no wind shear, so it went under rapid intensification as it headed South. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Enrique on December 23, and a hurricane on December 25. It then made a sudden movement back to the North, where the wind shear that had previously been there had moved to the Northwest, where Enrique was headed. Enrique moved rather quickly and caught up with the wind shear, which easily teared the storm apart. It became a Tropical Storm on December 27, and a Tropical Depression on the 28th. It dissipated on the 30th. Enrique was the first storm to not affect land. Tropical Storm Falken An area of low pressure formed directly North of The Shackleton Ice Shelf on January 3. It then became Tropical Depression 06A 4 days later, on January 7. 06A was the first Depression in the Eastern Portion of Antarctica. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Falken on January 9, becoming the first Tropical Storm in East Antarctica. Falken was anticipated to become a hurricane and take a Northwestern track before hitting in an area about 1100 miles West from the Amery Ice Shelf, but instead it turned Southwest on January 11 and made landfall about 100 miles East of the Amery Ice Shelf with winds of 60 MPH and a pressure of 993 millibars. It dissipated over Antarctica the next day. Tropical Storm Gavril A cold front left the coast of Eastern Antarctica on January 10. The system meandered over the Prydz Bay for 3 days, before becoming Tropical Depression 07A on January 14. It became a named Tropical Storm the next day, receiving the Russian Name Gavril. Gavril began curving back to the West, and then to the South to make a U Turn. It then made landfall not to far from where Tropical Storm Falken made landfall as a 45 MPH Tropical Storm with a pressure of 1004 millibars on January 17. It dissipated 2 days later over Princess Elizabeth Land. Major Hurricane Haru A low pressure system formed just East of the Antarctica Peninsula on January 16 and was immediately classified as a Tropical Depression by the UN. The storm quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Haru on the early hours of January 17. Haru moved Eastwards over the Weddell Sea, intensifying quickly. On January 19, Haru became the third storm to reach Category 1 Hurricane Status, and the next day, Haru became the first Category 2 recorded in the basin. Haru struggled for a bit due to high wind shear, and went back to Category 1 on January 22. But it re-intensified into a Category 2 on January 25, just 400 miles from Halley Station, owned by the UK. It then moved at a steady 10 mph towards the station, as it braced for impact. On January 27, just 5 hours before it hit, it strengthened into a Category 3 Hurricane. The first Major Hurricane recorded in the basin. Haru made landfall at it's peak intensity of 120 MPH and a pressure of 954 millibars. Haru killed 17 and did 100 million dollars in damage. It continued to travel over land, weakening to Category 2 status 3 hours after landfall, Category 1 18 hours after landfall (aka the next day) and a Tropical Storm 24 hours after landfall. Haru then stayed at Tropical Storm status for 24 more hours despite being on land, but weakened to a Tropical Depression on January 29. Its remains dissipated over Thorsmaninine on January 31. Hurricane Isaac An area of low pressure formed in the Bellingshausen Sea on January 26, and quickly strengthened to a TD the next day. The TD moved to the Northwest, slowly heading towards an unfavorable environment. The TD was only expected to become a minimal Tropical Storm. Once it did become a Tropical Storm on January 29, it kept strengthening. Isaac briefly become a 75 MPH Category 1 Hurricane on January 31 before entering an unfavorable environment. Isaac was downgraded to a TS the same day, and a TD on February 2. It's remains turned Northeast, and brought stormy skies to Argentina on February 5. Hurricane Josefa On January 29, a disturbance was located in the Weddell Sea. It stalled for a few days, nearly dissipating twice. Despite its unfavorable odds, it became Tropical Depression 10A on February 6. 10A continued to struggle and became a remnant low on February 8. The remains moved Southwest, away from the unfavorable environment. In its new and much more favorable environment, it became a Tropical Depression again on February 11. It then started making a curve to the East. During this curve, it became a Tropical Storm on the early hours of February 13, receiving the name Josefa. Josefa moved ENE at about 20 MPH. Josefa in its much more favorable environment, was able to strengthen into a Hurricane on February 16, and a Category 2 the next day. Before it made landfall, it made a curve Northwards on struck farther North than anticipated on February 19. Josefa rapidly weakened into a Tropical Storm on February 20, and re-emerged into the Weddell Sea on February 21. Josefa slowly began to strengthen back into a 75 MPH Hurricane on February 24, but it entered the same area of unfavorable environment as it was in when it formed, and weakened back into a Tropical Storm on February 26, and dissipated on March 1. Needless to say, Josefa was the longest lasting storm of the season lasting 23 days. (February 6 - March 1). Tropical Storm Kalida On February 9, another disturbance was found in the Bellinghausen Sea. The disturbance quickly intensified into Tropical Depression 11A on February 11, and a Tropical Storm the next day. The Tropical Storm, named Kalida, turned South and was sheared apart on February 14. It dissipated that same day. Kalida only managed to make it to 40 MPH and a pressure of 1005 millibars. Unlike the previous storm, Josefa, Kalida was the shortest lived storm of the season, only living for 3 days. Major Hurricane Luigi The Antarctic basin would go quiet for 3 weeks. During this time, 4 invests formed, but none became a Tropical Depression. A 5th disturbance formed in the Eastern Ross Sea on March 22. The disturbance in a rather favorable environment, quickly strengthened into Tropical Depression 12A on March 25. 11A and 12A were a total of 43 days apart. The longest streak since the season began. 12A intensified into Tropical Storm Luigi the next day. The storm was heading Westwards, and was predicted to strengthen into a hurricane, which it did on March 28. The storm was only predicted to be a Category 1 Storm, but it continued to strengthen into a Category 2 on March 29, a Category 3 on March 30, and then Luigi became the first Category 4 storm of the season on March 31. Luigi was then predicted to peak as a Category 5 with winds of 165 MPH, but it fell short, peaking at 155 MPH on April 2. This is because it had tracked more North than expected, and began to weaken. This also meant that a landfall was less likely. As it continued tracking more and more North, it began to weaken, due to a large area of dry air. It lost Major Hurricane Status on April 4, and then Category 1 Status on April 6. Luigi then turned back South and became a Hurricane again on April 7. It then made a Category 2 landfall on April 9. It slowly weakened over land, and dissipated on April 12. Tropical Storm Morgan A low pressure system split into 2 in the Eastern Weddell Sea. The Southern one rapidly developed into a Tropical Depression on March 28. The Depression curved to the Southeast. The system was only expected to make landfall as a Tropical Depression, but right before landfall on March 30, it strengthened into a Tropical Storm. The system slowed down a little and made landfall on the early hours of April 1. It dissipated over land the next day. The system, named Morgan, peaked as a 40 MPH Tropical Storm with a pressure of 1005 millibars. Tropical Storm Norberto A low pressure system split into 2 in the Eastern Weddell Sea. This was the same low pressure system the spawned Tropical Storm Morgan. Unlike the Southern part that became Morgan, the Northern Part was much slower to develop. This system headed WSW at about 10 MPH. It finally became a Tropical Depression on April 7, after attaining a closed circulation. The system started to head more towards the West as it strengthened. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Norberto on April 10. The development of Norberto was slow and gradual, unlike Morgan. It peaked on April 13 with winds of 70 MPH and a pressure of 990 millibars. Norberto slowly began to weaken due to colder sea surface temperatures. It weakened back into a Tropical Depression on April 15, and dissipated on April 17. It's remains went on to affect the Antarctic Peninsula on April 19. Naming These are the names that were used for the Antarctic Basin in the 2500-2501 season. All names that were used were used for the first time this season. The names Oliver, Ping, Qahir, Regina, Shik, Tatiana, Urbano, Vladislava, Wendel, Xaviera, Yan, and Zinhle were not used during the course of the year. Retirement In the Autumn of 2501, the WMO decided to retire three names, Caleb, Haru, and Luigi from their naming lists, and they will never be used to name a storm again. They will be replaced by Carter, Hana, and Lucio for the 2506-2507 Antarctic Hurricane Season. Naming List for 2506-2507 Category:Antarctic Cyclones Category:Future hurricane seasons Category:Seasons By Akio Category:Category 4 hurricanes Category:Akio Category:Tropical storm